The government of Canada’s Alberta province remains confident of its petrochemicals industry's prospects, despite the US shale gas boom which has triggered a wave of new chemical plants across the border.

One year after the BP rig disaster, federal regulators are urging further safety and containment measures, the energy industry complains of slow permitting, and members of Congress and the public urge more drilling as US gasoline prices edge past $4/gal (€0.74/litre).